Fact Sheets - Australia

(Latitude) 10° 41’ South and 43° 39’ South
(Longitude) 113° 09’ East and 153° 39’ East

Area

7.7 million sq.km (coastline 25,760 km)

Climate

Summer from December to February

Autumn from March to May

Winter from June to August

Spring from September to November

Conditions vary depending on location

Population

23.4 million (December. 2013)

Territories

Australian Capital Territory (385,996)

Northern Territory (245,079)

States:

New South Wales (7.5 mn)

Victoria (5.8 mn)

Queensland (4.7 mn)

Western Australia (2.5 mn)

South Australia (1.6 mn)

Tasmania (0.51 mn)

Federal Capital

Canberra (385,996)

Other Major Cities

Sydney (4.8 mn)

Melbourne (4.4 mn)

Brisbane (2.3 mn)

Perth (2.0 mn)

Adelaide (1.3 mn)

Hobart (219,547)

Darwin (135,672)

Religion

Christianity (13.0 million)

Buddhism (0.68 million)

Islam (0.44 million)

Hinduism (0.153 million)

Judaism (0.092 million)

other religion groups include Australian Aboriginal traditional religions, Sikhism etc.

Ethnic groups

Australia is a country of migrants; around 45% were either born overseas; have a parent who was born overseas. There are over 200 migrant nationalities, among whom are predominantly English, Irish, New Zealander, Italian, Croatian,
Serbian, Vietnamese, Greek, Chinese, Indian (Caucasian 92%; Asian 7%; Aboriginal and others 1%)

Time difference

NSW, Queensland, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania: IST + 4½ hours

South Australia and Northern Territory: IST + 4 hours

Western Australia: IST + 2½ hours

NSW, VIC, SA, ACT, TAS have Daylight Saving

Time from October to March.

Political

Polity

Federal parliament democracy, based on the constitution of 1901, with Queen as head of State. The Government is headed by a Prime Minister in Cabinet. The Parliament is bicameral: the 150-member House of Representatives (the lower
house) is directly elected by a preferential voting system for a three-year term; and the Senate (the upper house) the 76 Senators (twelve from each of the six States and two from each of the Territories) directly elected by proportional representation for
six-year terms, with one-half of Senate members retiring every three years, usually to coincide with elections for the House of Representatives. The Senate may not initiate or amend money bills.

State legislatures

Five of the six states have bicameral legislatures; that of Queensland is unicameral

Electoral system

Compulsory universal direct suffrage over the age of 18

National government

A cabinet, presided over by the Prime Minister, is appointed by the Governor-General on the basis of party strength in the House of Representatives. A Liberal/National Coalition government is in power after securing an emphatic
victory in the recent federal elections.

Major political parties

The Liberal Party, Australian Labor Party (ALP), the National Party, the Greens.

Head of State

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia represented by the Governor General.

Governor General

HE General the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd)

Prime Minister

Mr. Malcolm Turnbull, MP

Foreign Minister

The Hon. Julie Bishop, MP

Leader of Opposition

The Hon. Bill Shorten, MP

Party position Total

150

House of Representatives

Liberal* : 58

Liberal National Party* : 22

Nationals* : 9

Country Liberal Party* : 1

ALP : 54

Independents : 3

Greens : 1

KAP : 1

Palmer United Party : 1

*(Liberal, Liberal National Party, Nationals & CLP are in a coalition with 90 seats)

Senate

Total : 76

Liberal* : 23

Nationals/ Country Liberal Party*: 4

Liberal National Party* : 6

ALP : 26

Greens : 9

Palmer United Party : 3

Democratic Labor Party : 1

Australian Motor Enthusiasts: 1

Family First Party : 1

Liberal Democratic Party : 1

Independent : 1

*(Liberal, National and Liberal National Party are in a coalition with 33 seats)

Economic

Composition of GDP

The Australian economy is based overwhelmingly on services, which account for 80.1% of GDP The mining sector accounts for 7.6%;manufacturing for 11%; agriculture, forestry and fishery for 2.3%.